Mathematics is a discipline that embraces creativity and beauty yet often students are immersed in classroom activities where these attributes are hidden by an overemphasis on algorithms and computational speed.
Creativity exists in all fields but the nature and manifestations differ based on the values and objectives within the discipline. While artists, authors, and musicians seek to invoke an aesthetic or emotional response, STEM disciplines focus on creating solutions to problems; a functional view of creativity. Yet creativity is often limited in K-12 classrooms where students mimic established algorithms to construct, as opposed to create, solutions to known problems.